


Sweatermark

by uofmdragon



Series: Tumblr Prompts - Combo AU meme 2017 [2]
Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-18 06:30:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13094394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/uofmdragon/pseuds/uofmdragon
Summary: Natasha lies about her soulmate mark until she realizes who it is.





	Sweatermark

**Author's Note:**

> lapillus requested Bruce/Nat - Ugly Sweaters and Soulmates

Natasha lies. She knows this, everyone who truly knows her knows she does. She’s a spy, it’s what she does for a living. She’s used to bending the truth for the job.

In truth, she rarely lies outside of work, except to Clint, because they like to bullshit one another and one up one another with tales about their escapades, which actually get wilder with each telling. Well, the early days get wilder. There’s no need to exaggerate their current missions, but there are more teammates that can call bullshit on their stories (they still try to exaggerate when telling recapping Avengers missions to Coulson though). 

Her biggest lie outside of work is that her soulmate mark was removed by the Red Room, which is actually far more believable than actual truth. The truth being that her soulmark is large and… tacky. So rather than cover them up, they developed a cover up which can shape them into something else. Natasha thankfully learned how to make it and the stuff that removed it.

Once she gets to the United States and sees Christmas, she realizes she’ll meet or figure out her soulmate around that season. The Americans and their Christmas and their Christmas Sweaters. 

Every soulmark is different. They can be a sign of the person the other is meant to be with or words the other says. It doesn’t necessarily relate to the first meeting, but the first year of knowing a person. When soulmates realize they have met their soulmates the mark changes into something shared by the pair - a symbol, animal, or words to describe the pair. Natasha hopes that when she meets her soulmate, her mark gets a lot smaller.

Her mark is large and covers her chest. The first Christmas after meeting Clint, Natasha watched his warddrobe like a figurative hawk, but apparently despite everything that says the Ugly Christmas Sweater should be a Clint-thing, it is actually not. She does the same thing for Fury, Maria, and a few others. Some of them where the Ugly Christmas Sweaters, but none of their ugly Christmas Sweaters ever resemble the one that is marked on her skin!

Natasha flirts a bit with Steve, mainly to make him blush, but she moves on fairly quickly. She likes Bruce. He’s smart and tends to get even more flustered by her flirtations. 

When Christmas rolls around, the Avengers decide to hold a Christmas Party. It’s nothing fancy, just friends coming over to dance and exchange gifts. 

Natasha rolls her eyes when catches sight of Tony in a reindeer fucking sweater. Pepper is in a far more tasteful Meowy Christmas sweater. Rhodey has one that says ‘This is My Ugly Christmas Sweater’. Clint and Phil are wearing plain sweaters in a dark green. 

Then Natasha spots Bruce and almost spits out her drink when she sees a T-Rex eating a reindeer that she is familiar with. She stares at it for along while.

“Something the matter, Tasha?” Bruce asked when he noticed it.

“I like your sweater,” Natasha said, smiling at him.

“Thanks,” Bruce said. “Tony talked me into wearing it.”

“Science bros?” Natasha asked, taking a sip of her drink.

“Pretty much,” Bruce agreed.

“I’ve seen the design before actually,” Natasha admitted.

“Yeah?” Bruce asked. “Does Clint have one?”

“No, he actually doesn’t wear them.”

“Surprising.”

“I think he was mocked in school for his clothes, followed by not being able to afford them, followed by getting involved with Phil.”

Bruce snorted. “Phil does not strike me as a man that would wear one.”

“He is not,” Natasha agreed.

“So where have you seen it before?” Bruce asked.

Natasha studied him. “Your actually the first time I’ve seen someone wearing it.”

“But then…”

Natasha leaned in to whisper into his ear. “It’s my soulmark.”

Bruce looked adorably confused. “But your soulmark was removed…”

Natasha smiled. “Oh, well, I lied about that.”

“Why would you…?”

“Because that sounds far more believable than - my soulmark is an ugly Christmas sweater design?”

“Okay, you have a point.”

Natasha smiled, leaning into Bruce’s space. “Want me to prove it?”

Bruce blushed, looking her over. “Um, sure?”

Natasha smiled, moving away, but gesturing for him to follow. The remover was in her room. Her bed was also there, which was where she was planning on ending up.


End file.
